"We must dare to think 'unthinkable' thoughts. We must learn to explore all the options and possibilities that confront us in a complex and rapidly changing world." - Senator J. William Fulbright

In case you missed it, I've already covered tips for Part I and Part II of the application process. Follow the links to learn more.

Part III: The Interview

Your application is complete, and you get the news you've been waiting for...you've made it as a finalist and have been notified that you need to complete an interview. Congratulations for being selected as a finalist! The timeline for review of applications that is listed at the Fulbright website is fairly accurate. In my case, I received notification that I was a finalist at the end of February. I knew how important the interview would be, so I spent time preparing for it. Here's what you can do to be ready:

Review your application. By now it’s been several months since you completed the application, so it’s a good idea to reacquaint yourself with the details. In total, my complete application was 14 pages long, so it was a lot of material to review.

Make a note page. As I mentioned, the full application is quite lengthy. I made myself a note page to quickly reference during the phone call. In my notes, I included a summary of my goals, the most applicable portions of my qualifications, summary points regarding my inquiry project, an explanation of why Finland was most appropriate for my research, and how I felt my project would impact my practice. Remember...the notes are not meant for reading verbatim...they are simply there to jog your memory about specific details and to remind you to mention things that you may omit if you are nervous.

Practice talking about your project. It will make you feel more comfortable in establishing a succinct way to express what you want to accomplish and why it matters to you. I was fortunate to have an administrator in my district offer to help prepare for the interview as well as my husband (also a teacher) and several amazing colleagues. Also talk to family members or others outside of the field of education about your project. You need to be able to explain what you want to investigate in a concise manner to someone who may not have background information on your topic.

Do your homework. Like any interview, it is always helpful to know as much as you can about the organization/interviewer as possible. Linked-In is an excellent resource to find out about who you’ll be talking to during the interview. Knowing about the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching program will also help you to prepare appropriate questions.

Congratulations for taking the leap to apply for the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program. Good luck with your application, but most importantly, thank you for striving to be better for your students each and every day.

You've had plenty of time to gather your thoughts, you've read my tips about what to do in the pre-application stage, and now you're ready to start working on your application.

The Application: Part II

Start Early. Even after all the time you’ve spent thinking about your project, the application will seem overwhelming. Know that the application itself is best approached a little bit at a time. The application includes background information about yourself, your school, and your project. If your CV is up to date, you’ll be able to easily transfer dates and specifics into the application. Always think about connecting your experiences to your project. The more cohesive the entire application is, the better!

Gather Supplemental Materials. Pay careful attention to portions of the application that require action from someone else. For example, the background information about your school may require you to get demographic information from an administrator, so request that as soon as you can. Likewise, request pre-approval from your administration early. Also think about requesting transcripts (undergraduate and graduate level) from your university if you don’t already have them. If you need to apply for a passport, doing so early in the application process makes sense.

Request Letters of Recommendation Early! The application requires three letters of recommendation, one from your direct supervisor plus two additional individuals. In my experience, I tried to include professionals that could speak to different aspects of my experience and expertise. In my case, I chose a former supervisor that presently works in a different district and a mentor/former colleague who left to pursue a PhD and is now a professor. When requesting my letters, I provided each individual with a brief overview of the Fulbright program including the attributes they seek in participants as well as a brief overview of my inquiry project plan. By doing so, the writer could connect what they knew of my professional experiences with what I intended to do.

Utilize any instructional materials provided by the IIE. The Institute of International Education (IIE) serves as the administrator for the Fulbright program. Before writing up plans for your inquiry project, check any resources provided by IIE. It gives you a clearer picture of how to write an application that connects all the pieces that are considered in a successful application. At the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching webpage, you can review sample applications, view short webinars with tips for completing the application, and read past Fulbrighters blogs.

Determine what places are most appropriate for your inquiry project. A successful application is equal parts passion for your topic, a well crafted proposal, and a project that is feasible based on your proposed location of study. As a part of the application, you will rank your choice of participating countries to complete your project. It only makes sense to select a location that has access to what you’d like to study. Look for universities with programs that specialize in your area of interest and look for researchers or professors studying similar topics. A supplemental section of the application allows you to include suggestions for specific universities and programs that would fit your project. Also consider that it’s important to have a topic that requires study outside of the USA. The program is making an investment in you and wants to see you bring back information that will be beneficial to your teaching practices when you return.

Pay attention to the details. As with any professional work, details matter. Make sure your application is complete and accurate, and proofread! Do the work to look for research supporting your interests, as it will make your inquiry project proposal stronger. Have colleagues review your work and offer feedback. As an aside, I made the mistake of working on my application in Word, and overlooked the fact that each section has a character limit, not a word limit. After carefully writing my application, I was in for quite a surprise when I attempted to copy and paste my responses into the web based application. It was a challenge to rewrite my responses to meet the character limit.

Now you're ready to turn in the application and start the waiting game. If you make it through to the interview stage, read on for some tips about how to prepare for the interview, here.

I see you out there. Spending your weekend developing a new way to introduce a concept to your kids. Writing an IEP that captures not just the areas that your student needs to improve, but that captures the strengths that they bring to your classroom. Maybe you're the teacher who spends her lunch on the phone with a parent to share a small victory their child had in your classroom, or the one who stays after school brainstorming with team members how to help the student that is struggling with behavior. You're the teacher up late into the night thinking about what else you could be doing to help that student that has struggles at home that most people could not even begin to fathom. You're the teacher that shows your students that you care not just about their learning, but about each and every one of them. I see you.

The fact is, I am fortunate to work with a building full of educators just like this, each one that I would consider a "distinguished" educator in ways that go far beyond just what they teach. Those who work in education (teachers, guidance counselors, speech-language pathologists, behavior specialists, physical and occupational therapists to name a few) do so because they believe in their mission to guide, teach, and care for today's children and prepare them for their futures. As educators, many of us are constantly looking for ways to stretch and grow ourselves, to be better and do better for our kids. The opportunities to do so present themselves in many ways, but if you are considering taking a leap for the learning experience of a Fulbright Distinguished Award in teaching, I can offer you my advice.

In my experience, there were three important parts in the process of applying and being accepted to the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program: Pre-Application, Application, and Interview. In this post and the following two posts I'll outline some tips for each portion, and hopefully some of my already "distinguished" colleagues will feel inspired to take the leap and apply.

According to the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program website, eligibility requirements are as follows:

Master’s degree or enrolled in a Master’s program (U.S. teachers only)

Proven track record of professional development activities and leadership

Part I: Pre-Application

Think about your project! Prior to beginning the application, I gave myself plenty of time to think about areas in my practice that I was especially interested in and passionate about. In my case, when I first found out about the program, I just missed the deadline for the 2014 application cycle. Because of that, I had a full year to think about potential topics for an inquiry project. Your passion is an integral part of your project, and a successful application will reflect it.

Get familiar with available resources. The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching webpage is a wealth of information. At the site, there is information from past and current Distinguished Educators (including links to blogs of their experiences), information about countries participating in the program, a sample application, and access to sign up for the Institute of International Education’s Global Opportunities for Teachers newsletter.

Sign up for notification of next application cycle. When you sign up, you will automatically receive an email when the next application cycle begins. The deadline for application is usually at the beginning of November, but the application typically opens in the summer.

Update your CV. Having an updated CV will make the process of starting your application much easier.

Now you're ready for the next step. Read on to the next posts for tips about completing the application and preparing for the interview. You can find them here: Part II & Part III.